Trigger warning: graphic depictions of violent actions, gore, unsavory language, mentions of multiple life's lost.
Finishing off the style she'd had put her blonde hair in, she examined the teal dyed tips. Smiling at how smooth and silky she had gotten her long hair she stood up from her chair and happily twirled over to her closet. She pulled out the covered dress and removed it from its protective sealing. It's sparkles glistened against her bedroom light, but ultimately consumed by the black of night the rest of the dress was. Wendy squealed excitedly as she picked it up and spun around, hugging the dress to her body.
Coming to a stop she sighed, holding it up in front of her and smiling fondly and proceeding to dress herself in it. Picking up the part that slightly dragged on the floor she walked over to her full length mirror, admiring herself in the reflection and slightly dissolving with the spaghetti strap holding the entire thing up and posing sillily by moving her leg exposed by the slit up the side. Happy with herself she stepped into her heels and made her way out of her room and down the stairs of her home.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs she was surprised by the flash of a camera. Looking up and seeing her mother and father smiling, her father holding the camera and shedding a tear.
"Look at you, my little girl is going to her senior prom."
Wendy rolled her eyes and smiled, crossing her arms.
"It's not that big of a deal dad, it's just a dance."
"Yes but you're going to be prom queen!", her mother spoke up, absolute delight displayed on her face.
She was sure her mother was right, confident in her own campaign to become the prom queen. After all she'd spent all of high school making sure she'd have the best at getting picked for as much as she could. Head of student council, captain of the volleyball team, she was practically the darling of the whole school, she was sure there wasn't a single person who disliked her.
Wendy smiled, hugging her mother and leaning into the hug her father had started. Just as they had finished they heard the beep of a car horn.
"That's Dmitri!", Wendy squealed excitedly, walking as fast as she could in her heels over to the door and opening it, watching her boyfriend move up the walk way toward her front door. She stepped out and quickly walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug and pulling him into a kiss.
They broke away, smiling at each other. She chose to ignore the sounds of her father's camera.
"You're excited Wendy!", Dmitri laughed, handing her a small box containing a wrist corsage,"Oh and don't worry about me, I got myself one too, I knew you'd forget."
Wendy blushes in embarrassing, he knew her all too well. She figured that's what made them so perfect, they knew everything, their romance felt like a storybook fairytale to her.
"Well you two should get going!", her mother exclaimed happily. The two of them waved their goodbyes and got into the car, on their way to dinner.
Wendy has never really wanted to go anywhere special, just to the local diner for dates like these. They found they had gotten there just in time to sit at a table by themselves and order.
They talked as they waited for their food and drinks, laughter and smiles practically radiated from the two.
"So do you think you're gonna get Prom King?", Wendy asked as she fiddled with a ketchup packet.
"I'm not sure, it would be cool but I'm not really thinking about it too much. What about you? You think you're gonna get Prom Queen?"
"What kind of question is that silly? Of course I am! How can I not? Plus it would be so amazing if you got Prom King, we'd get that dance together and everybody would be watching us, it would be magical."
Wendy was practically beaming with joy as she went on and on about her prom queen fantasy. Dmitri just nodded his head, he has heard her speech about being the prom queen many times before.
"You know you don't have to be the Prom queen right? Can't we just enjoy our night?"
Wendy stopped her tirade and looked over to him almost confused. Why would she want anything else? What else was there than being the queen of it all? She shook her head no, letting the ketchup packet fall out of her hand as their food finally arrived.
From then they had changed the conversation, menial chatter as they ate. Yet somehow Wendy couldn't shake it.
She had never not thought about becoming the prom queen. The moment she stepped into Oakland high she had set her sight on the crown. She had won the previous year, she just needed to win one more and her dream would be accomplished. Her hard work would have paid off and she can finally move on.
It had become an obsession that only she knew of, it was the only thing she ever thought about, the only thing she truly desired and here she was, about to receive that beautiful crown and sash.
Dinner went on and eventually finished, by the time they had gotten in the car and had reached the school parking lot Wendy felt like she was about to explode.
2 hours.
Wendy danced and mingled with friends and other students alike, smiling and laughing as she communicated with her classmates. Though she always made sure to stand in a position that would allow her to see the ballot box, sitting on top of a table on the stage she'd be standing on very soon.
She yearned for it, being here in this moment was euphoric, she had never felt more amazing than she did now. It was so close, she felt as though she could reach out and touch it. It was that close. She just needed to wait a little longer and it would be all hers.
1 hours and 26 minutes.
She had excused herself to the bathroom to fix her makeup. Once there she checked to make sure no one was in sight and set her small purse on the side of the sink, grabbing a hold of the edges and gripping tightly.
She gave her biggest and brightest smile she could, holding it as she practically shook in anticipation.
She was almost there. It was almost hers.
This is everything she's ever wanted. All she's ever needed.
And she needed it now.
NOW.
Lights blaring lights. Stage lights. They surrounded her. Eyes from everywhere stared toward her frozen still form.
She stood there smiling, her face the very essence of calm collected and happy.
But deep inside it raged. The hunger and lust for the crown seethed and filled her every thought. Inside it screaming at her, yelled and pleaded for her to just take it. Take it. Take it.
It called to her. She held her breath, for if she didn't she wouldn't be able to control how rapidly her breathing might have got. Her ears rang as she watched the principal call out a speech into the microphone, she focused her eyes on the principal's lips. Waiting for those words to be said. The worst she desperately yearned for to be said. She needed them more than anything, they swirled and repeated in her head over and over like a record stuck in place.
Over and over and over again she heard if it was maddening. She felt herself begin to shake, and it became harder and harder to keep a straight face. Her breath still held, she felt light headed.
This feeling drove her crazy, and then she heard it.
"And the winner of Prom Queen is.."
Her eyes wide darted to the principal's hand slowly and carefully opening the envelope. She wanted to scream.
He was taking too long, go faster, he needed to say it. Say if. Say it. SAY IT GODDAMN IT.
He unfolded the piece of paper within. Yes. Yes this was it. Everything she ever wanted was right here, ecstasy set in as she reads formed in the corner of her eyes and her smiled widened farther than she ever thought it could go. She felt her heeled foot pick up as she was about to turn to walk over. This was if, the day she'd been waiting for. She'd have everything she'd ever want and it was right-
"Amelia Wilkinson!"
Silence. And then it got louder. The people's screams and cheers slowly distorted into a buzzing. And ringing so loud that it filled her very being.
She felt herself crack like glass, shatter into a million itty bitty pieces she felt herself walk on as she heard her name be called out for prom princess.
Anger as she was handed the sash to put on the queen.
Enraged as she stepped up to put the sash on the queen.
Pure wrath as she lifted the sash over the queens head and swiftly pulled as it reached her neck. Placing her heel into her back as she pulled as hard as she could.
The ringing stopped as she heard sounds of choking. A gargled mess. The screams slowly faded in as she let the girl drop to the ground with an inch of her life.
She had only stopped when another girl had grabbed her arm. Wendy had hardly noticed herself grabbing a hold of her arm and snapping it as far back as she could, and she hadn't realized she had picked up the microphone stand and bashed it blow after blow into the skull of the fake prom queen.
"YOU TOOK IT FROM ME!"
Whack.
"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MINE!"
Whack.
The microphone still attached proceeded feedback and echoed the loud squealing sound of it hitting the girls head.
Music to her ears.
But there was one thing she did notice, the laugh. The deranged, loud, Maniacal laughter of a psychopath. It was coming from her mouth. She gave the biggest smile she could as she let out her haunting laughter as she struck the head of the faker over and over again with the microphone stand.
Someone had tried to pull her away and she swung, hitting them right in the neck and lodging the metal pole-like object into their throat. She struggled to get the object loose from the person's neck but she eventually got it to release with a good tug.
Looking off the stage she watched as students alike scream and ran, all trying to escape from the horrible act they had just witnessed.
Wendy calmly walked over to the podium the crown sat on, with her free hand she caressed the crown, blood transferring from her hand onto its shiny plastic surface. She giggled lightly.
"Shhhhh... you're safe now.", she whispered to the object, gently lifting it up and placing it atop her head.
She clutched the microphone stand close to her as she did a little twirl.
She did it.
She was the prom queen.
Turning the the rest of the student body she smiled and lifted the busted microphone close to her lips.
"Bow to your majesty." She cackled, kicking her high heel off her feet and jumping off the stage, running and brutally bludgeoning anyone in sight until they were completely unrecognizable.
After a bit of time she finally heard them. Sirens. Police sirens.
Sighing, she dropped the metal pole and stretched for a moment. Giving the school one last smile before sprinting off into the forest.
She was the queen now.
They will bow soon enough.
They don't have a choice.
